We are back again with week seven of our studies at the popular music production school Point Blank Online. As the course winds its way to a close, assignments are getting a bit more complex as well as the course material. The past weeks have focused on the building blocks of music, and now we are ready to start adding some life to these essential elements. That’s why this week was all about adding vocals and collaborating with other musicians.
One of the easiest ways to get a tune off of the ground is by working it around a song that has already been finish, primarily a studio-quality acapella. By framing your own tune around such a sample, you know that the structure and chords are solidly in place. This will give you an idea of how to write your melodies and chords. When you have all those pieces figured out, all you need to do is take away the acapella and you are left with a brand new instrumental to pitch to vocalists.
That will give you some initial idea to bring to the table, but what happens once you have vocalists that is willing to work with that instrumental? Lyrics need to be written, minor adjustments need to be made, and the song needs to come together. It is often easier to start by writing a simple motif or a general lyrical idea before jumping headfirst into lyric writing as a whole. This is because simple motifs can often times give you a framework from where the rest of the song lives within. Once you have the initial seeds of inspiration, the rest can easily flourish from there!
If you are making a more club-oriented tune, it can likewise be a good idea to have some type of vocal element in there. Though it will usually take a backseat to the more aggressive elements of the club track, these short phrases or shouts will be a nice human touch and give the listener something to latch on to when listening. In these situations, it can often be wise by starting with this vocal loop or phrase and build the tune around that. One example of this is in the timeless track by Daft Punk titled ‘Around The World’. Though the phrase itself is rather empty and lacks any emotional message, it does act as the foundation and humanized hook that the rest of the track is built on.
That’s all for this week guys! Next week will be the final week of the course, so stay tuned for more great upcoming tips as we wrap up what has been a fun and truly enlightening time at Point Blank Online. If this information has helped you in your own productions, think about heading over to Point Blank’s website for yourself to check out some of the great courses that they have to offer!
